Caryl June Stewart, Founder and President Emeritus of Opportunities Credit Union passed away on Saturday, March 28 after a short illness. She was 85. Caryl was a longtime resident of Burlington. She and her husband Pierre Boutan also resided in Essex, New York, where they enjoyed rural life, especially gardening and the beautiful Adirondack sunsets. They traveled widely and often, always making time for visits to France, where Pierre grew up, and to the coast of Maine. Caryl was the youngest of four daughters born to Ora and Roy Stewart, in Watertown, South Dakota on June 9, 1929. Her father died when she was an infant, and her mother when she was ten. Despite this and with the support of her sisters, none of whom attended college, she graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1953, where she met and married her first husband, Alek Rozental, a graduate student at the University. His career took the family to, among other places, London and Bangkok. When their marriage ended in 1960, Caryl moved to Vermont with her two daughters, first living with her sister Bettymae Rowden and her family in Derby, and commuting during the week to Montreal where she completed a degree in social work at McGill University. She moved to Shelburne in 1962 where the family lived until her younger daughter left for college. Caryl was a single mother and a career woman at a time when that was far more unusual than it is today. A very involved and supportive mother, she created a warm and welcoming home full of pets, books, and music, and was a wonderful cheerleader for her children, always taking a keen interest in their lives, careers, and families. Caryl's approach to life was best summed up by on a small needlework sign made by her daughter Gail, which she kept on her desk for many years. It read "Doing It Is Everything". Caryl believed that while many people talk about changing the world, what mattered was going out and making change happen. This belief shaped both her career and her many contributions to the community. She began her career in social services but became frustrated that some of the well meaning practices of human service systems actually resulted in people becoming dependent upon those systems. She left social work and entered the business world, founding Bennington Potters North in 1974, one of two of the longest continuing retail businesses in Burlington today. As part of this undertaking she served as the general contractor for Burlington's first commercial historic restoration project; restoring the beautiful Wells-Richardson building on College Street. In the five years she ran that business, she discovered a talent for financial management, and from there began another new career as a stock broker, where she particularly enjoyed coaching women who lacked the knowledge and confidence to manage their own money. These diverse experiences were eventually united when she served on the board of the Burlington Ecumenical Action Ministry (BEAM), and founded the Vermont Development Credit Union, now known as Opportunities Credit Union. This position enabled her to combine the qualities of understanding and compassion learned in her work in human services with the creativity and discipline she valued in the private sector. The result was a very individualized process of helping people help themselves by learning to save and manage their money. This was done with the greatest respect and patience within an atmosphere reflected in the motto: We don't say NO, we say WHEN. Under Caryl's leadership the credit union won wide recognition including receiving the National Credit Union Association's Wegner Award for Outstanding Organization in 2005. Caryl's passion for social justice led her to embrace the feminist movement early on. She became politically active, helping to start the Vermont branch of the National Women's Political Caucus during the days of the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970's and running for Mayor in 1987. She cared deeply about her community, and was involved in numerous projects to improve Burlington, including creating more access to the lakefront and supporting numerous local agencies. Although it may have seemed to others that things came easily to Caryl, this was not necessarily true. What was true is that she was determined and disciplined. She always had a vision, and she always had a plan to achieve that vision, and she never hesitated to roll up her sleeves and work hard to get things done. Caryl's love of the outdoors led her to acquire a camp on Norton Pond in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, which she gave up when her sailboat on Lake Champlain began to claim more of her leisure time. This was followed by the decision to find a place on Lake Champlain, and she purchased and restored a Greek Revival farmhouse on Middle Road, in Essex, NY, naming it Windy Willow Farm for the huge willow tree that graced the front yard. A life-long learner, she read extensively, with a particular emphasis on history. She prepared for all her trips by studying up on the places she would be going, and was always working to perfect her mastery of the French language. She was an avid and highly competitive tennis player. As recently as last summer, she triumphantly shared the news that she had improved her game to the point where she was playing with a more advanced group of women players, most of whom were about 40 years old. Asked if she thought they knew how old she was, she just laughed, saying "oh, I don't think so!" Caryl is survived by her husband Pierre Boutan, daughters Gail Rice (John), Lynn Stewart Rozental, grandson Alexander Martin, stepsons Marc Boutan (Trish), Paul Boutan (Ester), 8 step grandchildren, 2 step great grandchildren and and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her sisters, Adele Thomas and Bettymae Rowden. A private family burial will take place at Mount Hope Cemetery, in Watertown, South Dakota. A memorial service celebrating Caryl's life will be held on Friday, April 10 at 1 pm, at the Unitarian Universalist Church, with a reception immediately following in the church's parlor. Please note that the church's parking lot is not available during the week. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making a contribution to one of these two organizations Caryl loved and supported: The Stewart Emergency Loan Fund at the Opportunities Credit Union, P.O. Box 67, Winooski, VT, 05404 The King Street Center's "Kids On The Ball" tennis program: King Street Center, 87 King Street, P.O. Box 1615, Burlington, VT 05402, attn: Will Carlson Arrangements are by Sanderson-Ducharme Funeral Home 117 South Main Street, Middlebury, VT 05753 (802)-388-2311 www.sandersonfuneralservice.com